Belize Open Source - Sustainable Development and Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-USA) in northern Belize – projects overview and photos Presented by Pat Coyle, 11/30 & 12/1-2/11 at LLNL(see separate file with balance of photos and playlist with groundbreaking videos at the bottom of it at: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE5F8F8E311D67C80)

1. Belize Open Source ‐ Sustainable Development and
Engineers Without Borders‐USA
Engineers Without Borders USA
(EWB‐USA) in northern Belize
Patrick Coyle, EWB‐SFP; Belize Open Source ‐ S t i bl D l
P t i k C l EWB SFP B li O S Sustainable Development
t
for LLNL‐ 11/30, 12/1‐2/2011

2. Agenda
• Overview: Belize Open Source ‐
Sustainable Development
• Overview:
• Engineers Without Borders‐
USA (EWB‐USA)
• Engineers Without Borders —
San Francisco Professional
Chapter (EWB‐SFP)
Chapter (EWB SFP)
• Status update: Four EWB chapter
projects in northern Belize
projects in northern Belize
• Belize Open Source 40‐acre site • New classroom building in
looking toward August Pine
Ridge village
Rid ill August Pine Ridge
August Pine Ridge
• Belize photos

3. What is Belize Open Source ‐
What is Belize Open Source ‐
Sustainable Development?
Sustainable Development?
• Belize Open Source ‐ Sustainable Development, as a
501(c)(3) non‐profit,
• promotes environmentally and socially sustainable
promotes environmentally and socially sustainable
development
• invites collaboration on an open source approach to
p pp
develop and participate in a land‐based learning and
community outreach center on a working farm on 40
acres in northwestern Belize
• partners with EWB‐USA to collaborate with EWB
chapters on projects
chapters on projects

4. Activities: Belize Open Source ‐
Activities: Belize Open Source ‐
Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development
• Donated prior year HOME donations of $500 to three
EWB chapters – Google matched donations with $500 to
EWB chapters Google matched donations with $500 to
EWB‐USA
• From time before last’s HOME pledges donated
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• $500 to emergency construction of a new septic tank
for Muffles College in Orange Walk, Belize
• $$500 to three chapters – Google, other EWB‐USA
partners matched the donations
• $500 to August Pine Ridge school for a public address
$500 to August Pine Ridge school for a public address
system

5. Activities: Belize Open Source ‐
Activities: Belize Open Source ‐
Sustainable Development (cont.)
Sustainable Development (cont.)
• Last November, updated at LLNL about BOSSD and three
EWB chapters working in Belize and received pledges of
EWB chapters working in Belize and received pledges of
nearly $2.8k ‐ allocating in 2011 and 2012
• Donated $500 to August Pine Ridge school ‐ teacher's
$ g g
texts and filing cabinet for new classrooms
• Donated $1.5k to four EWB chapters, will be matched
• Raised ~$2.8k for the first visitors’ accommodations at
$
our 40‐acre place to house the CSU EWB teams during
their visits to construct new classroom building in August
their visits to construct new classroom building in August
Pine Ridge
• Seeking US Rotary club to partner with Belize Orange
g y p g
Walk Rotary and the CSU EWB August Pine Ridge project
• Developing programs to use the Belize property

6. EWB‐USA vision and mission
Agenda
• Updates and status: Belize Open
Our Vision is a
Source ‐ Sustainable Development
world in which
• Engineers Without Borders‐USA
all communities
(EWB‐USA)
have the
• Engineers Without Borders — San
p y
capacity to meet
Francisco Professional Chapter
F i P f i l Ch
(EWB‐SFP)
their basic
human needs
• Updates and status: Three EWB
Updates and status: Three EWB
chapter projects in northern Belize
Supports community drivenBelize photos programs
• Belize photos
Supports community‐driven development programs
development
• Road past Belize Open Source
worldwide through the design and implementation of
40‐acre site toward August Pine
sustainable engineering projects, while fostering
sustainable engineering projects while fostering
Ridge village
Rid ill
responsible leadership

7. EWB USA Growth
EWB‐USA Growth
2000
8 Members
8 Members
1 Chapter
1 Project
1 Project
2011
12,000 Members
250+ Chapters
p
350+ Projects

8. EWB‐SFP Nation’s 1st Professional Chapter
S a o s o ess o a ap e
• Established in 2004
Established in 2004
• 150+ active volunteers
•6i f t t
infrastructure projects
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• 5 Appropriate Technology
Design Team (A.T.D.T)
projects
• Executive Committee and
support committees
provide chapter
management, fundraising,
and publicity

9. EWB SFP Projects and Locations
EWB‐SFP Projects and Locations
Kenya Water Supply
El Salvador Water & Sanitation,
plastic recycling
Fiji Water System
Ghana & West Cashew Waste Utilization
Africa
Guatemala Wind Turbine
Haiti y
Community Health Clinic
and Solar Power
Honduras Bridge Construction &
Water Distribution
Water Distribution
Nicaragua Composting Toilet
Philippines Rock Crusher
Tanzania Water Distribution &
Health Clinic

10. EWB SFP Project Process and
EWB‐SFP Project Process and
Commitment
• All projects have a non‐governmental organization (NGO)
partner acting as a liaison to the community
partner acting as a liaison to the community
• Three project phases:
1. Assessment
2. Design and Implementation
3. Monitoring and Evaluation
• Long‐term infrastructure projects have a minimum 5‐year
L t i f t t j t h i i 5
commitment to the community
• Appropriate technology projects vary in length depending
Appropriate technology projects vary in length depending
on the requirements of the NGO and community

11. What s the connection?
What’s the connection?
• Coyle is founder and a Director of Belize Open Source ‐
Sustainable Development, a 501(c)(3) non‐profit
• Member of the San Francisco Professional Chapter
(EWB‐SFP)
(EWB SFP)
• Serves on EWB‐USA West Coast Technical Advisory Team
and leads monthly team review of project applications
and leads monthly team review of project applications
• Authored EWB application for August Pine Ridge
Community Improvement Program – the classroom
building by EWB‐Cleveland State is substantially
complete
• Presented at EWB Regional Workshops and EWB
Presented at EWB Regional Workshops and EWB
International on “Simple, Inexpensive Aerial Photography
Mapping with Balloons or Kites and planning workshops
Mapping with Balloons or Kites” and planning workshops
with students in Belize on next visit

12. Belize Open Source ‐ Sustainable
Belize Open Source ‐ Sustainable
Development and EWB chapters
Development and EWB chapters
• We support four EWB chapters working in northern
Belize
• Cleveland State University, August Pine Ridge
y,
• Iowa State University, Trinidad
• Lamar University, Chunox in the Corozol District
• Texas A&M, San Mateo on Ambergris Caye
• Coyle reviewed their application and is in touch
with them to collaborate and support them
The focus of this talk is the EWB Cleveland State University
August Pine Ridge classroom building project which is
substantially complete and in use

13. Where is Belize?
Where is Belize?

14. Belize up close
Belize up close
• Belize is small: About 175 miles,
north‐south, by 80 miles wide
h h b l d
• It has diverse land regions: cayes, a
barrier reef, beaches, tropical rain
forests, caves with rivers running
into them, mountain pine ridge, and
(
savannahs (where we are) )
• Belize is small enough and
transportation is good enough that a
stop at Belize Open Source can be
stop at Belize Open Source can be
included as part of your itinerary,
along with whatever else you choose
to do in Belize
to do in Belize
• If you visit Belize and volunteer with
BOSSD, a reasonable portion of your
trip expenses can be tax deductible
i b d d ibl

15. How to get involved
How to get involved
• Contact me:
• pat@coyles.com
• Belize Open Source: http://belizeopensource.org
• SFP‐EWB: http://ewb‐sfp.org/
SFP EWB htt // b f /
• EWB‐USA: http://www.ewb‐usa.org/
• Individual chapters and projects are accessible through the
Individual chapters and projects are accessible through the
EWB‐USA website

16. Iowa State University

17. Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Kyle Vanice, chapter president, wrote:
In regards to our program in Belize, unfortunately we are still having little
luck finding needs in Trinidad for our next project. Matt, our Belize director,
has contacted the principle of the local school and he replied with the
f
same requests (community gardens, dock, etc.). As you are aware, these
are still a bit out of our scope.
That being said, we have been discussing sending a group of students
down as individuals and not as an EWB sponsored team. This would be to
work in a community service type capacity. Your offer to have us stay at
capacity
Belize Open Source and volunteer our time is something we'd like to
consider. We would definitely like to continue working with the country of
Belize if it at all possible. Maybe I'll catch you on g-chat soon and we can
possible I ll
discuss it further.

18. …building
b ld
p
partnerships…
p
18

19. …making friends…
19

20. 20

21. Our partner community and institution
Our partner community and institution
Trinidad
Kings College

22. Activities
Projects:
• Build and test three solar driers for three primary
schools
• Create construction, operation, and maintenance
, p ,
plans for drier
• Construct town sign and school sign in Trinidad
• Assess feeding program and school garden for
Kings College
• Initiate contact and assess needs at Kings College
• Assess two stove designs determine cooking
designs,
needs
• Hygiene education – clean hands
Cultural Experience

23. School Garden and Nutrition
School Garden and Nutrition

24. Future Direction: Chemistry Program
Future Direction: Chemistry Program
Needs:
‐ Experiments that don’t require special chemicals
h d ’ l h l
‐ More space
‐ Better equipment
Better equipment

25. Solar Fruit Dryer
Fruit Dryer

26. Trinidad: Town
Trinidad: Town Sign

27. Meeting Rotary in Orange Walk Belize
Meeting Rotary in Orange Walk Belize

28. Next Steps
Next Steps
Continued and proposed projects:
• Coordinate with Humana‐Belize (NGO) for seeds and local resources for
tools to equip Kings College for school garden
g g
• Create a textbook drive for Kings College
• Assess and initiate stove program business (30‐50 stoves / week)
• Design and construct bus stop for Trinidad Village
• Coordinate with Rotary in Orange Walk to expand Solar Dryer project
Coordinate with Rotary in Orange Walk to expand Solar Dryer project

29. Lamar University, village of Chunox
Lamar University village of Chunox
in the Corozol District update
in the Corozol District update
• Implement a restroom facility for the St. Viatore vocational
high school
high school
• Performed test to determine water quality, soil type, soil
p
percolation, water table, land survey (for a percolation
, , y( p
field), located a site for the bathrooms
• Formed Memorandum of Understanding with the school –
• we will provide materials and design
• the school will provide labor, some lodging and meals
• Currently working on alternatives Analysis: our preferred
Currently working on alternatives Analysis: our preferred
alternative is a standard flush toilet. The effluent waste will
be treated by a percolation field
y p

30. About Lamar
University Chapter
• Established in 2008
• Consists of over 20 current members
• Started our first project in 2009
• Traveled to Belize for the first time in 2010
• Will be traveling to Belize this summer for
implementation.
• Our plan is to have our total project ready
for submission January 2012 and travel in
May 2012
2012.

31.  We have raised about $20,000 so far
for
f our trip.i
Awarded $16,962 from EWB-USA/
Boeing for Restroom and Onsite
g
Wastewater Treatment Project
 We are trying at raising another
$6,000
$6 000 to help pay for members to
travel to informational workshops to
gain the training they need.
 Design for the project we have is
almost completed, we just need to
finish the final design stages in order
to submit it for approval.

32. Location
Official Address:
St. Viator High School
1.5 mi. beyond Chunox Village
Chunox – Sarteneja Road
j
P.O. Box 330
Corozal Town

33. Ferry
y

34. St. Viator Vocational High School
St Viator Vocational High School

37. Cafeteria

38. Water Supply
pp y
• Water line from Chunox
• Chunox uses reverse osmosis on
community water
• There is no water filtration on site
• Supplies Cafeteria
• School Well, pond
• Supplies shower, animals, and crops

40. Pit Latrine Bathrooms
Pit Latrine Bathrooms

42. Randy Nelson, project lead, wrote,
We'd be happy to work with you and share information and experiences
in Belize as our project develops.
To i
T give you an update on our project, we are currently preparing for an
d t j t tl i f
assessment trip to San Mateo in January.
We expect that we will be working with the community to develop a
source of fresh water, but we're keeping a somewhat open mind since
this will be our first trip.
Our tentative schedule is to try to complete our first project by next
Christmas, but that is very much dependent on this first assessment
trip. We'll
trip We ll be better able to give you a timeline once we get back.
back
As for fundraising, we are trying to raise $20,000 for the implementation
next year. I'm attac
e t yea attaching a few photos of the community, a d I ca se d
g e p otos o t e co u ty, and can send
more if you'd like.

43. Texas A&M University; San Mateo
Texas A&M University; San Mateo
• San Mateo is an impoverished community, listed by the Belize
Red Cross as the most impoverished/at risk community in the
d h h d/ k h
country
• The land in actuality is a tidal estuary densely populated with
The land in actuality is a tidal estuary densely populated with
mangroves, which is more often than not under several feet of
water
• Approximately 150‐180 “homes” exist in San Mateo on stilts
with no running water, electricity or sanitation. Each “home” is
reached by walking a series of elevated “London bridges,” a
h db lki i f l d “L d b id ”
precarious system of scrap lumber walkways generally no
wider than 22 with no handrails
wider than 22” with no handrails
• The community is in desperate need of affordable, potable
running water, development of a sanitation system, pathway
improvement, roadways, and a land fill, among other needs.
EWB‐USA, TAMU intends to undertake some of these projects

50. San Mateo

51. August Pine Ridge, Belize
Ridge
School Building Update

52. Cleveland State EWB project
Cleveland State EWB project
• The new school building provides additional space for the
current overcrowded school that serves approximately 450
d d h l h l
students and will serve as a hurricane shelter for the
general community
general community
• A project‐specific assessment trip was completed in
May 2010 and the floor plan for the school was
y p
finalized and approved by the community
• Data on building material quality and availability was
gathered along with material prices
h d l ih i l i
• Detailed site soil samples were collected and shipped
to CSU s campus for laboratory tests. Soil
to CSU’s campus for laboratory tests Soil
characteristics were incorporated into the school
building’s foundation design
• Soil characteristics for a leach field for the school
building’s septic system were evaluated

53. Cleveland State EWB (cont.)
Cleveland State EWB (cont )
• The skill level of local labor for construction was assessed
• A Belizean Civil Engineering firm agreed to help the
chapter with construction in Belize, paperwork required
by the Central Building Authority (CBA) to secure
construction approval and building codes used in‐country
A Preliminary Design Report (PDR) with all necessary design
A Preliminary Design Report (PDR) with all necessary design
calculations and construction documents was submitted to EWB‐
USA for review and implementation was approved
p pp

54. PDR submitted for approval
PDR submitted for approval

55. Floor plan – classroom building
Floor plan – classroom building

56. Cleveland State EWB funding
Cleveland State EWB funding
• The preliminary estimate for construction, furnishing and
outfitting the school was ~$150k USD
f h h l $ k
• The community agreed to raise $100k in cash and/or
in‐kind contributions (including labor)
in‐kind contributions (including labor)
• The CSU Chapter agreed to raise up to $50k
( y
(Coyle/BOSSD helped in modest amounts)
p )
• The community applied for funds to the Belize
Natural Energy Trust (a fund organized by an oil
company) for $50k and to the Social Improvement
) f $50k d h S i lI
Fund (an international development fund in the
Caribbean)
• (as of early August, the cost to date was ~$134k, with
$61k from Belize and $73k from CSU EWB)
• Construction began in April, 2011 and is substantially
complete – one classroom is in use

57. Groundbreaking
• Let’s watch videos of the groundbreaking celebration

84. Blanca Torres wrote, “The aerial photo mapping seems very interesting. I shared
with my children and sisters the images of our village I found in the link and they
ith hild d i t th i f ill f d i th li k d th
just loved them. As I mentioned, I welcome these opportunities where I can
involve my students in new learning experiences. I am very interested in
exposing them through your mapping project. We feel pride in having our
project
community appear in internet pages and more if we are involved in getting those
images.

94. Cleveland State EWB update
Cleveland State EWB update
• Rich Obratil wrote, one of the classrooms is in use at the
,
moment, it's nice to hear some of the students referring
to the building as "beautiful”
• The Social Investment Fund (SIF) has donated everything
but labor for the computer lab so we have started to
paint the computer room today
paint the computer room today
• The estimate to completely finish the school, is about
BZ$65k (US$32.5k) ‐ BNE Charitable Trust is looking over
$ ( $ ) g
the estimate and will let us know how much they will
provide, right now they have committed to BZ$15k and
the Ministry of Education BZ$5k
$
• An inauguration for the building might be in mid‐March
• The chapter is beginning to gather resources to begin
The chapter is beginning to gather resources to begin
designing for the water project